


A Shred of Imperfections

by UnidentifiedFlyingObject



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: M/M, Skoodge is kind of a dick, clone!au, i'm still working on it, there might be more tags later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:27:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27807541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnidentifiedFlyingObject/pseuds/UnidentifiedFlyingObject
Summary: Zim is reborn on the Space Ghost and hungers for adventure. He doesn't yet know the dangers that lurk around every corner, but he's too far gone to care. Not to mention that there's something about his PAK that makes him feel like a different person. But he won't be figuring it out alone.-This work is the sequel to Revenge is Sweet in the Eyes of the Fallen-
Relationships: Zadr(for real this time)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Tiny bare feet padded throughout the ship, followed by much larger booted ones. Zim sprinted down the hallway and hid behind a large trash can, covering his mouth to hide his breath. He could hear Dib’s robotic voice echoing through the halls, and it was enough for him to sacrifice a couple of giggles, knowing he wouldn’t be found. He was an excellent hider after all.

“Come on, Zim, you have to get back to your training. We’ll be landing soon and you said you’d finish the class before then.”

Dib scanned the area for heat signatures and found exactly what he was looking for. Thank goodness his PAK radiated heat since the small irken himself did not. He smiled and walked around the room, intentionally missing looking behind the trash can, which made Zim giggle again. 

“Oh Zim! Where oh where could the little rascal be…?”

Dib finally snuck up on the trash can and poked his head behind the trash, startling the little irken.

“Found you~” Dib smiled.

“Gack! Curses! How did you find me, I was in such a good hiding spot!”

Dib picked up the alien and held him in his arms. Zim looked less than pleased about being found.

“I have my ways, Zim. Anyway, you need to get back to your classes.”

Zim groaned. “Do I HAVE to?”

“Yes, Zim. Uncle Skoodge said so. They’re important for your fantastic little brain.”

Zim sighed and put his head against Dib’s chest. He listened to the strange sound that came from it. The pounding of some kind of internal organ. Something Dib had referred to as a ‘heart’.

“That’s not going to work this time, Zim. Being cute isn’t going to get you out of your classes.”

Dib carried Zim back into the infirmary and sat him down in a chair. He placed the tablet in front of him and stood straight again. 

“I’m going to come check on you in five minutes. When I come back, I want the rest of those questions filled out, alright?” 

With that, Dib shut the infirmary door and left. Zim waited until his footsteps were no longer audible, and he set the tablet down on his lap and looked out the small window. He wondered what it was like out there in space. What kinds of beings lived out there. He’d already seen so much traveling with the Resisty in a few short years, but deep down, he wondered if there was more to see than just this ship and a couple of non-hostile planets he was allowed to explore. 

Zim looked down at the tablet and the unfinished questions he’d answered several times before. They were always simple questions like “how are you feeling” and “have you made any friends”. Zim felt like they were testing his personality more than anything else. Sometimes they ran diagnostics on his PAK and would never actually tell him any of the results. Which Zim didn’t really mind. Zim thought they figured he wouldn’t understand, but Zim was an adolescent now. He could understand much more than they thought he could. Sometimes it irritated Zim that they still treated him like a smeet. Zim felt his eye twitch just thinking about it, and finally finished answering the questions. At least if he did them now, he’d be done with them and could get back to what really interested him. 

Dib held his word and came back five minutes later to find Zim gazing out the window, the tablet sitting in his chair. Dib picked it up to make sure that he’d finished it, and smiled when it read ‘complete’. 

“Thank you, Zim. I know the classes are boring.”

Zim didn’t respond, which made Dib frown slightly. He walked over to the small irken and looked out the window with him. The planet they were going to land on was just in sight now and Dib stole a glance at the alien. He looked far away, deep in thought. It wasn’t uncommon for Zim to think so deeply. He was extremely inquisitive about nearly everything the Resisty did. He was interested in the long history and how Lard Nar came to be its founder with uncle Skoodge as his right hand.

“Am I going to be able to see this planet, Dib?” Zim asked almost sadly, as if he already knew the answer. 

“Not this time, Zim. I’m sorry you don’t get to come with us on every mission. If it were up to me, I’d have you right by my side.”

“Why doesn’t uncle Skoodge let me see more planets? I’m perfectly capable.”

Dib sighed. He hated these conversations. It was hard to see Zim upset. He was always so fired up and energetic, even as a smeet. It made it harder as his primary caretaker, but Dib wouldn't have it any other way.

“I know you are. But it’s not my decision. You’re going to have to ask Skoodge.”

“He’s going to say no. He always does.” Zim got up from the window and folded his arms across his chest. 

Dib kneeled and put his prosthetic hand on Zim’s shoulder. He wanted to make all of his concerns go away, but deep down he knew that wasn’t possible. Zim was so heartbroken every time he wasn’t able to go on a mission. 

“Look, let me talk to Skoodge and maybe if you have good results on your test, he might let you take a peek, okay?”

Zim’s antennae perked at the suggestion. A small smile crossed his face and he nodded. 

“Okay…”

-X-

“Why would you tell him that?” Skoodge threw up his hands in exasperation.

“Look, Skoodge, Zim is getting older. He’s not a smeet anymore. You can’t keep him confined to the ship for much longer. I mean come on, he hasn’t even seen Meekrob yet!”

“That’s because we haven’t had the time to return to Meekrob! Dib, I know he’s a handful, but you can’t keep making promises to him that you know you’re not going to be able to fulfill. He’s not ready.”

“If not now, then WHEN, Skoodge? The kid’s already over two hundred in earth years!”

“And 18 in irken years. He’s still just that - a kid.”

“I’m 18, Skoodge, and I’m your co-pilot. I’ll remain that age until my circuits are beyond repair. Why can’t he see this planet?”

Skoodge sighed and made his way over to the console, pulling up a hologram of the planet. 

“This planet is currently a smeet breeding ground. The irkens left from their planet’s demise are trying to rebuild their numbers. They’ve completely overtaken this planet.”

“I fail to see the problem.”

“The problem is, Dib, if they find out that another Zim exists, then they’re going to come after him. Every irken in the known universe knows who’s responsible for the slaughtering of their people.”

Dib huffed and crossed his arms and looked down sadly at the floor.

“Okay. Just… promise him he’ll get to see one soon? He’s starting to get cabin fever again.”

“I’ll do what I can. I’m sorry, Dib, my hands are tied.”

Dib nodded and turned away for a second before looking back.

“He got good scores on his test. However, there was one answer that worried me a bit.”

“Oh? Which one?”

“The question about the empire. He answered very emotionally. He really hates it.”

“That’s a good thing.”

“You’re not worried?”

“Dib, I programmed his personality disc myself. He’s a very emotional character, you know that. He’s not so different from the Zim before him personality-wise.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better about this? Zim before was evil and plotted to destroy everything. What about this is a positive?”

“The fact that he’s not being raised by the empire, but the Resisty. You, as his caretaker. He’s not going to harbor those kinds of thoughts. And if he does, see to it that he knows that those are wrong. Do I make myself clear, Dib?”

Dib frowned slightly and balled his fists at his side.

“Yes, captain.”

“Good. Now we’ll be landing soon, so make sure he’s in a safe place. And that he remains there for the duration of this trip.”

Dib turned back around and walked out of the cockpit. He heard small taps of footsteps run down the adjacent hall. Dib muttered under his breath and walked down to the infirmary where he spotted Zim sitting on the table, twiddling his thumbs.

“How much of that did you hear?”

Zim hung his head, pulling at his clothes.

“Not a lot. There was a Zim before me?”

Dib sighed. “I didn’t want to tell you until you were a little bit older, but yes, there was a Zim before you.”

“Oh… Did you know him?”

“We were friends until the end, yes. We didn’t always agree, but I knew deep down that he was a good person.” Dib smiled. “Just like I know you are.”

Zim felt himself smile back and he hopped off the table.

“We’ll be landing soon, right?”

“Yes. Let’s get you to your quarters.”

Zim followed Dib into the hallway and the pair sat in Zim’s quarters. Zim stood on a chair to look out his window just in time to see the ship initiate the landing sequence. He stared, mesmerized as the soft green grass of the planet’s surface slowly came up to meet them. He stared curiously at the crowd of people and narrowed his eyes to see better. All of a sudden, his eyes shot back open and he turned to Dib.

“Dib! There are people out there who look just like me!”

“I know, Zim.”

“Can we go outside for just a little bit? I’ve never seen others like me before!”

“I want to, Zim, really I do. But uncle Skoodge said not this time.”

Dib watched Zim’s antennae drop flat against his skull as he plopped down in the chair.

“I’m really sorry, Zim.”

“Why doesn’t uncle Skoodge let me do anything? I’ve lived on this ship my entire life. It’s always tests and diagnostics with him. Sure he’s nice to me, but that’s only half the puzzle, Dib. I want adventure! I want to see what’s really OUT there in space! I want what all my storybooks say I can have.”

“I know. I want that for you too. Just… when you’re older-”

“I can pilot a ship no problem! I can run my own diagnostics and I know how to dismantle weapons and put them back together again! I can fix faulty wiring and solve complex puzzles! I can calculate the outcome of a certain strategy AND I can fight! Why do I have to be OLDER in order to do things that I’m already capable of?”

“I don’t know, Zim.” Dib shook his head. “Really, I agree with you. You should be out there exploring, not staying cooped up on this ship your whole life. Trust me, I know exactly what you’re going through. Back on my planet, I was the same way. Constantly forced to do rudimentary everyday tasks when I knew I was destined for more.”

“How did you break free from it?”

“It’s not something that I’m proud of, but I ran away. I jumped in a vessel with my friend and we explored space together. Maybe you just need someone like that in your life.”

“How am I supposed to do that when I’m stuck here all the time? The only person I have that’s remotely close to that is you, Dib.”

Dib felt himself smile. He was eternally grateful that this version of him was all Zim knew, and therefore didn’t judge his physical appearance. Dib had slowly grown to accept that he was basically 70 percent robot now due to what was left of his organic material having been rotted away. Dib was the person Zim was most comfortable with and had no trouble voicing his concerns to. 

“That’s very sweet, Zim. And I hope that once you’re finally able to explore on your own, I can be right there by your side.”

Zim smiled back and hopped out of his chair, crawling into Dib’s lap, and leaning his head against his chest to hear and feel that strange organ pumping against his caretaker’s chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim is finally on his own out in space! Is it all he'd ever dreamed of and more?

Zim tapped his chin as he stared at the diagnostic screen.

“Do we have to do this NOW, uncle Skoodge? I feel perfectly normal.”

“Unfortunately. I just want to make sure your coding is intact and there are no malfunctions.”

“There weren’t any three weeks ago.”

“These things can happen whenever you least expect it. One day you’re completely fine and the next, you want to replace people’s eyeballs with rabid radioactive dogs or something.”

“Why doesn’t Dib have to do these every three weeks?”

“Because Dib can run his own diagnostics.”

“So can I.”

“And if something were wrong?”

“I’d tell you?”

“Sorry Zim, it’s more accurate this way.”

“You think I’d lie to you?”

“It’s less about that, and more about what you keep from me. There’s a difference, Zim. There. Now stand still, and you’ll feel a little tingle.”

Zim sighed and let the scan do its thing. He felt the laser scan every nook and cranny of his PAK, and shuddered. It never got any easier. It was still extremely uncomfortable every time. Skoodge monitored the screen as information filled it. Skoodge nodded in approval and disconnected the wiring.

“Everything looks good. Alright Zim, thank you for your patience.”

“Skoodge, when can I start flying my own ship?”

Skoodge gave him a questioning look. “You want to fly your own ship? Why?”

“I want to explore, uncle Skoodge. I don’t want to stay in this ship my entire life.”

“What’s wrong with the Space Ghost?”

“Nothing, it’s just - ugh - I’ve seen all there is to see of this ship. I want adventure, uncle Skoodge. Like my stories.”

“Zim, those are stories. This is real life.”

“You guys get to go on adventures every time we land on a planet.”

“They’re not adventures, Zim, it’s work. You understand Resisty work, don’t you?”

“...Yes.”

“Then you know that recruiting people for a resistance isn't a storybook adventure. It’s hard work and sacrifice.”

Zim slumped in his chair and sighed, his antennae flattening against his head.

“What about the Zim before me?”

Skoodge froze in place. 

“What about him?”

“Did HE go on adventures?”

Skoodge looked away from the smaller irken. He was silent for a while, and Zim was about to give up when he spoke.

“Not many. He wasn’t exactly the most learned of irkens. Please let it go, Zim.”

Skoodge picked up the wires and tucked them into their compartments and left the room, leaving Zim to sulk. After about an hour or two, Zim finally stood from his chair and left the room. He listened to the sound of his boots clacking against the floor as he thought about what Skoodge said. Maybe his dreams of adventure were skewed by his stories. Zim leaned against the wall and sighed again. Maybe Skoodge was right. That there was nothing to see in space after all. That all the dreams he had were just that - dreams. Zim had an overactive imagination, so perhaps his ideas for adventure really were all in his head. The Resisty was a serious organization and had no time for dreams and childlike ideations. Sometimes Zim had a difficult problem dealing with the seriousness of the Resisty’s work. He wished the others were more like him and Dib where they were a little more unfocused on the minutiae. 

Almost as if on cue, Dib walked down the hallway and saw the irken against the wall, sulking. 

“Hey there, squirt. How did your diagnostic go?”

“It was fine. Skoodge found nothing wrong.”

“Of course he didn't, he never does.”

Dib noticed Zim looking more upset than he’d ever seen him. He walked over to him and kneeled, taking Zim’s hands in his.

“What’s wrong, Zim? Something on your mind?”

Zim felt his eyes begin to prickle with tears. Curse his coding for making him emotional.

“Skoodge said there is no adventure in space, that it’s all just work. I just… I want to think he’s wrong.”

“Well it IS work. Skoodge works for the Resisty, and they do work. But believe me when I say that there IS adventure out in space. I’ve seen it and many others have as well.”

“But how can I know that for sure when I haven’t seen it?”

“You will. One of these days. You just have to keep your head up, okay?”

Dib pressed a couple of fingers to Zim’s chin and gently tilted his head upwards, making Zim smile a little. Dib always had a way of making the young irken smile, and it was something Dib was very proud of. He had a connection to Zim and it could be seen in the simple way that they looked at eachother. Zim looked up to Dib, and the human cyborg was more than happy to do that for him. 

“What about the escape pods?”

The question threw Dib for a loop.

“Hm? What about them?”

“What if we took one? Do what you did and just hop in a ship and run away?”

“Zim, I don’t-”

“Dib, the Space Ghost has been my entire life! I don’t want to spend the rest of my existence here. If there are things outside like you say there are, then I have to see them! Please?”

Dib sighed and shook his head. 

“Zim, if you do that, you’ll regret it just like I did. Sure, I got adventures, but I left my entire family and everything I knew behind. Do you really want to do that? Leave everything behind? Everything that you’ve built here?”

“What if I do?”

Dib was silent for several moments.

“Then… Then you have my approval. Just… don’t be dumb about this. Play it smart.”

Zim nodded and wrapped his arms around Dib’s shoulders. It was a strangely warm embrace, and one that Dib was almost certain would be their last for a long time.

“Just don’t ever forget that you will always. ALWAYS have a home here.”

-X-

Uncle Skoodge never slept like the rest of the crew, which is part of what made this difficult. While in his cabin, Zim donned his white tunic with pink collar and rounded shoulder pads and pulled on his white gloves. He quickly scanned through what was in the kitchen and decided to grab only what he could carry, which wasn’t much with his small arms. Making his way to the escape pods, he quickly dumped his rations into a compartment and looked behind him. This was going to be the last time in a long time that he was going to see the Space Ghost. He felt like he should wake Dib and tell him goodbye, but he feared he was going to warn Skoodge. Then he wasn’t going to get far at all. 

Zim hopped into the seat of the pod and took a deep breath. He could feel the excitement well in his chest as he closed the hatch and pressed the eject button. Soon, Zim would explore the far reaches of space. Suddenly, the pod stopped with a jerk, making Zim lurch forward in his seat. He looked around, confused when a screen lit up on the console and revealed Skoodge looking very displeased. 

“And just WHERE do you think you’re going, Zim?”

“Eh? What’s going on, why did I stop?”

“You forget that I have manual control over all the escape pods, Zim. I figured you’d try something like this. I’m bringing you home.”

Zim felt the pod begin to move backwards toward the larger vessel it came from, and Zim felt panic begin to set in as he fumbled with the controls. 

“No! I can’t go back! I have to see what’s out there! Uncle Skoodge!”

Zim ducked under the console and tore away a panel, exposing the wires beneath. He scanned the wiring and a lightbulb lit overhead. He took a quick deep breath to calm his nerves. If Skoodge had manual control over the pods, then there had to be a way to override the controls and gear them towards a different manual user. After a few rearranging of wires and presses of a few buttons, Zim pulled a lever and the pod stopped again, only a few feet away from its docking port. Zim saw Skoodge frown with confusion on screen before Zim grabbed hold of the yoke and pushed it forward, speeding out of the reaches of the Space Ghost. Zim felt pride overtake his previous feelings of panic as he looked back to Skoodge. 

“I’m sorry, uncle Skoodge, but I have to do this. Tell Dib I said bye, and goodbye to you too as well.”

Zim waved his hand and ended the transmission just as Skoodge opened his mouth to speak, leaving him with only the dull roaring of the escape pod. Zim wrung his hands together and smiled. He was finally free. Free from the tests and the classes and diagnostics. He could finally make his own decisions and create his own path. Zim’s smile only widened at the thought of it. 

“Computer, what’s the nearest non-hostile planet?”

“Nearest planet is F1G 45.”

“What can you tell me about it?”

“F1G 45 is a trading planet once conquered by the irken empire. However, since the destruction of Irk, the planet has been freed and now trades with the other planets in its solar system. Dominant species unknown - population 80 million.”

Zim whistled. “That’s a pretty big planet. Let’s check it out.”

-X-

F1G 45 was an interesting planet to say the least. It had tall industrial buildings, but it had trading vendors that looked like something straight out of one of his storybooks and long, coarse gravel roads. The trading vendors Zim passed smelled of feet and rotting goods. He scrunched his face at the smell and continued down the road until he came across a diner. He paid no mind to the looks he got as he made his way through the double doors. Zim found a small booth in the corner of the room and took a seat, kicking his legs with childlike wonder as he tapped his claws against the hard surface of the table. He took a deep breath as one of the service drones made their way to the table. 

“Welcome to Squeaky Florbs where our florbs are squeaky and still squeezable. What can I do for you?”

Zim opened the holographic menu and looked it over. He slid a few monies to the drone.

“Can I try some vort dogs? They sound interesting.”

“A serving of vort dogs, coming up.”

The drone took the monies and sped off towards the kitchen. 

Zm smiled. His first non rehydrated food he bought with his own monies. Zim started kicking his legs again and crossed his arms as he waited for the service drone to return. Once it did, it dropped a plate of vort dogs on the table. Zim eyed the sausage-like morsels closely. He picked one up with a fork and took a bite. It was so much more flavorful than any of the food he’d ever had on the Space Ghost. Zim began to devour the plate of food like it was his last meal. The iken got his fair share of looks and glances from the other patrons in the diner, some of which he noticed and began to eat slower, now self-conscious. 

“I heard that Loomis has a fugitive on it.”

Zim perked his antennae to listen.

“Isn’t Loomis one of the more dangerous planets? Why hide THERE of all places?”

“How should I know? I’m not a fugitive.”

“I heard they escaped from Moo-Ping 10.”

“How’s that even possible? That’s the highest level of security you can get!”

“I also heard they were irken too.”

“Really? Bah, I say let them get captured!”

Zim drowned out the rest of the conversation. Another irken? And a runaway at that, just like he was? This could be it - the adventure he was so set on having! Zim leapt from his seat and bolted out the double doors and back to his pod. Once he was in his seat and the hatch was closed, Zim punched in the console information about Loomis. 

“Computer, set a course for Loomis.”

“Are you sure? Loomis is-”

“Gah, I know what it is already! Just take me there!”

“If you insist. Plotting course for Loomis.”

Once the coordinates were set, the pod hovered off the ground before speeding off into the sky and back into space. Zim could feel the adrenaline flowing through his veins. He’d never felt anything like it. It was exhilarating. Zim had a feeling he’d be getting used to this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim finally made it to Loomis! Will he brave the dangers of the planet in order to find this runaway? Or will he back out when the going gets tough?

A barren wasteland. Foul-smelling air and lit by a very dim, dying star. These things are exactly how Zim would describe Loomis. Looking in the far distance, Zim could see gigantic beasts eating the tall grass. Stepping out of the pod, Zim’s feet crunched on the dead weeds and dry dirt. He briefly wondered how another irken could tolerate such harsh conditions. Zim felt like he should be more frightened than he was, but he dismissed such thoughts quickly. He started walking and listened to the distant sounds the beasts made. For a second, he wondered what exactly made Loomis so dangerous. Zim scanned the area around him for any life forms and found none. He heard the crack of a stick or falen branch and turned to inspect it. When he came up empty, he turned back just in time to see figures lurking about. They were too far away to be able to discern any kind of facial features, but Zim had someone he was looking for, and figured they might be able to help. 

As Zim came closer to the figures, he could tell that something was wrong. He frowned when he saw their missing appendages and their rotting flesh that seemed to fall off their bones(the ones that had bones, anyway). Zim watched as they lumbered about, groaning in some unidentifiable alien language. Zim tried passing through the crowd of undead aliens, but as soon as he was spotted, one of the carcases pointed directly at Zim. 

“There she is!”

Zim only blinked until he recognized the beings as hostile, so he turned on his heels to run. The creatures were able to keep up with the irken fairly well, which was very concerning considering Zim was very quick and agile with the advantage of being small. Zim tried using his barely-utilized PAK legs to assist him. It worked for a moment before Zim remembered that he rarely used them and tumbled to the ground, not yet used to controlling the spindly legs. The appendages returned to their compartments and Zim scrambled back to his feet and broke into a sprint. 

Suddenly, Zim felt the ground begin to rumble and crack, causing his to stop in his tracks, he watched as the ground began to open up and a hideous mud and rock monster climbed its way through the dirt. It kept growing and growing until it was the size of a building. Its hands were the size of large fully grown trees. Zim’s eyes widened as he felt his antennae flatten. He looked behind him and saw that the rotting creatures continued their chase, unfazed by the gigantic rock creature. As the monster raised a giant hand to strike, a bright flash of light struck it, causing rocks and debris to fall around the small irken. 

“Don’t just SIT there! Run!” came a voice.

Zim turned his head to see a female irken and finally came to his senses. He dodged the falling debris and ran towards his savior. The female looked less than thrilled about the ordeal, but once Zim was a safe distance away from the beast, she too turned and ran away. 

Zim smiled. “Wow! Another irken! I’ve never met another irken before! I mean, I’ve heard stories, but-”

“Can we save this conversation for when we’re NOT getting chased by a hoard of zombies and a rock monster?”

“Right, sorry.”

The female led Zim to a cave of what looked to be stone, and ushered him inside. Zim watched as she blasted the zombies, turning their heads to ash as they crumbled to the ground. The rock beast didn’t seem to be able to enter the stone structure, and soon vanished back into the earth. Only then did the female irken lower her blasters and place them back into her PAK. Looking closer, Zim saw that her eyes were purple and she wore the uniform of an explorer class. She also had some kind of wiring attached to her forehead. She was tall and looked very intimidating. She turned to Zim and puffed out her chest almost defensively. 

“You’re not with the empire.”

“No. I was hatched on the Resisty side.”

“Explains a lot.” She walked past him to the fire pit Zim hadn’t noticed before and sat down. “So you say you’ve never met another irken before? That’s mildly unsettling. Why is the Resisty hatching smeets anyway?”

Zim sat across the fire from her.

“I have no idea. I’m the only one who was hatched on the ship though.”

“Really? You were hatched on a ship?” She muttered to herself. “That can’t be right, the conditions aren’t suitable for smeets…”

The two sat in a strained silence for a few moments before Zim’s curiosity got the better of him. 

“My name’s Zim, what’s yours?”

The female irken’s antenna shot up.

“Careful, kid. That’s a dangerous name. And just as a formality, my name is Tak.”

“What makes my name dangerous?”

“You really don’t know? Oh Irk, what are they TEACHING you on that ship? Zim was the one responsible for the destruction of Irk and the slaughtering of Almighty Tallest Red and Purple. I actually knew him for a short time.”

“You did? What was he like?”

“He was a real jerk. Really quite dumb, too.”

Zim frowned. “Dib said he was smart.”

“Look kid, I don’t know who Dib is, but Zim was one of the dumbest irkens I ever had the displeasure of meeting. Then again, that WAS a long time ago… who knows, he could have gotten smarter. The point is that he deserved everything that was coming to him.”

Zim slumped in his spot to think. He didn’t get very far into his thoughts before he was interrupted. 

“That’s not any kind of uniform I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s one the Resisty made for me. Why’s that significant?”

Tak shrugged. “It’s not, I suppose. I just thought it was strange-looking. What brings you to Loomis of all places? It’s not exactly safe here, you know.”

“So I’ve noticed.” Zim’s expression softened. “I ran away.”

“Why leave the semi-cushy life of the resistance?”

“I wanted to explore. I’ve lived on a ship most of my life. Doing tests and having my diagnostics run for me when I knew I should be doing more. I wanted to be out in space exploring its many secrets and always experiencing something new. Discovering races only told in my storybooks. Like irkens for example. I’ve always dreamt of meeting another one of my kind.”

Tak smiled. “You really have no filter, do you?”

“Eh?”

“It sounds like you’ve lived a pretty lonely life, Zim. Raised on a ship? Irkens like you and me belong to the stars. Look, unlike your predecessor, you seem like a good kid. But let me be the first to tell you that not all irkens will be as welcoming as me. Play it smart, and if you EVER see another irken, do NOT let them know your real name. They WILL kill you if they find out who you really are.”

“Isn’t lying a bad thing?”

“Not when it’s your life on the line. I’ve been telling others my name is Kat to keep myself safe. I suggest you do the same.”

“Call myself Kat?”

“What? No. Give yourself your own alias like Miz or something. Just don’t let them know your name is Zim.”

“Right. Noted.”

Tak poked the fire with a long stick.

“Where’s your ship? I didn’t see one parked.”

“Oh, that’s because I travel in an escape pod. I don’t have a ship of my own yet.”

Tak nodded. “Maybe that’s a good thing. Small and therefore often overlooked. Good thinking, kid.”

Zim smiled. “There’s enough room in there for another person. I could use the company.”

“You don’t want my company, believe me. I travel alone. Fewer numbers means less risk. And I’d rather not get you arrested, alright? Not to mention I have no intention of thwarting your plans for exploration. That would just be an asshole thing to do.”

“Well you seem nice to me.”

Tak chuckled. “Well then you know nothing about me, and I’m not going to open THAT can of worms. NOW I have to help you get back to your mission.”

Tak stood and Zim followed suit. 

“On Loomis, to be slow is to be vulnerable. You’re faster on your PAK legs.”

“Ah, well, about that. See, I’m not exactly accustomed to using them. Sure I can stand, but I can’t run with them.”

“A minor setback. It’s not hard. It mainly takes concentration. You have good concentration, don’t you?”

“I’d like to think so.”

“Then you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly. Now come on, you shouldn’t be on this planet longer than you need to be.”

Tak led Zim to the entrance of the cave and Zim gulped, remembering what was waiting for them just outside.

“Also to have fear is to be weak. You’re not weak, are you Zim?”

“Absolutely not.” Zim steeled himself, making Tak smile again.

“Good. Now let’s go.”

Tak got up on her PAK legs, and Zim followed in her steps, wobbling slightly as they stepped back onto the dry dirt. 

“Remember, just concentrate on moving forward. Don’t think about anything else. You already know how to use these, it’s in your coding.”

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble and crack again, the rock and mud monster from before reappearing. 

“I’m following you, Zim! Run!”

The two sprinted past the creature and dodged its giant hands. Zim found that he was starting to get the hang of moving on his PAK legs thanks to Tak’s guidance. The pod was now within view, but the earth beast was beginning to catch up to the two irkens, which made Tak start blasting at it. As large pieces of rock tumbled down, a particularly large boulder came crashing down onto Zim’s PAK leg, dragging the small irken to the ground. He tried tugging at the leg, but it didn’t budge. 

“I’m stuck!”

Tak growled and knelt to Zim’s side, simultaneously trying to keep the monster at bay as she searched Zim’s PAK. 

“What the hell? You don’t have a release latch?! What kind of PAK doesn’t have a release latch?!”

“What do we do?!”

Tak ground her teeth in thought.

“We’re going to have to sever it.”

“What?!”

“Is ONE PAK leg worth your life?!” 

Tak turned her blasters to the trapped leg and shot at it until it finally broke free.

“GO!”

Zim hobbled off on his three remaining legs and Tak followed, fending off the giant beast. The pod was so close now, Zim could hear its engines roaring even over the commotion happening behind him. Zim hopped into the small ship and searched around until something caught his eye. Perfect, this escape pod had weapons. Zim locked on to the earth creature’s head and fired. The blast shook the ship and exploded the creature’s face, sending down a rain of rocks and mud. Tak looked over, surprised. 

“That’s one advanced escape pod. None of the ones I’ve ever been in had any kind of defense system.”

“That’s kind of why I took it. Are you sure you can’t come with me?”

“I’m sure, kid. Go on. You have a mission to complete.”

Zim nodded. “Goodbye Tak. Will I see you again?”

“I certainly hope not.”

The two shared a quick laugh as Zim closed the pod’s hatch and flew off. He smiled to himself as he looked over his dirtied white uniform. He felt a small clicking somewhere in his PAK, but paid it no mind. He’d just gone on his first adventure of many. He didn’t even mind the danger. In fact, he welcomed it. After all, to have fear is to be weak, and Zim was no longer weak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading ch 3! I had fun writing this on and I hope you enjoyed it!


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